Paper elevating device for printing machines



Aug.7, 1945. BAECZ 2,381,713

PAPER ELEVATING DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed April 3, 1944 'v v I 19 mmvrogc Geo/:96 B @1240},

UNITED fSfTATE Patented Aug. 7, 1945 PAPERIELEVATING DEVICE FOR PRINTING Y MACHINES George Babicz, Chicago, Ill. Application April 3, 1944, Serial No. 529,276

I 4 Claims. (CL 271-45) The present 'invention'relates to printing. machines of the type wherein the paper to be printed is carried by a conveyor towards a pair of contacting printing rollers, and has for its principal object'the provision of a device for e levating therear edge of the paper and above the conveyor,

as the front edge of the paper is picked up by the printing rollers.

In printing machines of the type having an endless conveyor set upon a pair of'spaced pulleys, and wherein the rear edge of the paperis engaged by pins as the paper is carried bythe conveyor towards a pair of printing rollers, it frequently occurs that as the front edge of the paper is picked up by the printing rollers the rear edge thereof due-to the gravity of paper has a tendency to bend downwardly and below the plane ofv the conveyor and as a consequence thereof the pins riding downwardly upon the pulley adjacent the printing rollers, catch the rearmost edge of the paper and injure the same. Therefore another object of the present invention is the provision of a device in a printing machine for elevating the rear portion of the paper as the front edge thereof is being picked up by the printing rollers so as to bring the rear edge of the paper above the plane of the conveyor and elevate the same above the plane of the paper engaging pins upon the conveyor, for the purpose of obviating any injury to the paper by the pins as they pass over the pulley which remains adjacent the printing rollers.

With the above general objects in View and others that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, ilustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the printing machine with the present device shown in an inoperative condition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the present device shown in an operative condition;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the printing machine; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a cam mechanism for actuating the present device.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown a pair of shafts l and II, each having a pair of oppositely disposed pulleys l2, upon which a pair of endless conveyors 3 is set for printing rollers l6 and I1.

longitudinal movement and transversely of shafts l0 and H. Each of said conveyors has a plurality of paper engaging pins I4, each pair of oppositely disposed pins in the two conveyors coacting to engage the rear edge of paper |5 for pushing the'same forwardly and towards a pair of The contacting point of 'the'two printing rollers is on the plane of the upper, level ofconveyors |3so as to facilitate picking up the front end of the paper as the same is carried'towards said rollers H5 and I! by upper level of conveyors I3, and as said rollers l6 and I1 rotate in the directions indicated by arrows in Figs. 1 and 2. Said rollers l6 and I1 are set upon shafts l8 and IS. The end of one of said shafts is extended beyond the adjacent ends of said rollers for receiving thereon in a rigid relation a heart-shaped cam 20 forthe urpose hereinafter described.

The machine further includes rockshaft 2| suitably supported in the machine for oscillating.

movement and set between two levels of conveyors l3 rearwardly of shaft II and in the proximity of front pulleys l2. Keyed to said rockshaft 2| is a pair of L-shaped fingers 22, the horizontal portions of which remain substantially on 4 the plane of the upper level of conveyors l3. Said fingers 22 are set upon said rockshaft 2| immediately outwardly of the vertical plane of said conveyors I3 as is clearly seen in Fig. 3.

Keyed to one end of said rockshaft 2| is a rocker arm 23 having a longitudinal slot 24 for receiving therewithin in an adjusted relation bolt 25, which bolt is in rigid engagement with one end of bar 26. The other end of said bar 26 has an idler 21 journaled thereon which remains in contact with cam 20. Any suitable means, such as a spring or the like, in the support of the rockshaft 2|, may be used in normally urging the rockshaft and the idler 21 into the positions shown in Figure l and Figure 4, with the idler held in engagement with cam 20.

From the hereinabove description it will be seen that rocker arm 23 is actuated in its angular reciprocating movement by means of bar 26 as the latter is longitudinally reciprocated by cam 20 as it rides upon idler 21. The angular reciprocating movement of rocker arm 23 will impart oscillating movement to rockshaft 2| for the purpose of intermittently elevating fingers 22 to their op-.

erative position shown in Fig. 2 and to lower them printing rollers 16 and I1, namely when the front end of the paper sheet l5 has been picked up by said rollers l6 and I1, rocker arm 23 shifts towards shaft III for oscillating rockshaft 2| in the same direction for elevating fingers 22 above the plane of the upper free ends of pins l4, and thereby for elevating the rear end of paper sheet l5 thereabove, and maintaining the rear end of paper sheet IS in the elevated condition until it is well passed beyond the vertical center of front pulleys I! as the same is carried by rollers l6 and ll.

Thus, any possibility of the rear edge of the paper being caught by pins M as the same descends along the peripheral course of front pulleys 0'2, and the consequent injury to the rear edge of the paper is eliminated.

None of the various drives for the several shafts is shown in the drawing, because these are well known in the art.

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A printing machine comprising a pair of printing rollers, a conveyor whose supporting surface is in the plane of the point of entrance of the sheets between the rollers, pins upon said conveyor for engaging the rear edge of a paper sheet for carrying the same towards the said rollers and feeding the same therebetween, and means beneath the sheet and operative when the medial point between the front and back of the sheet passes said means for elevating the rear end of the paper sheet above the plane of the surface of the conveyor and the free ends of said pins as the front end of the paper sheet is received by said rollers.

2. A printing machine comprising a pair of printing rollers between which sheets to be printed are fed, a conveyor whose supporting surface is in the plane of the point of entrance of the sheets between the rollers, pins upon said conveyor for engaging the rear edge of a paper sheet for carrying the same towards the said rollers and feeding the same therebetween, a rockshaft, a finger keyed thereto, and cam means for oscillating said rockshaft for angularly shifting said finger for shifting the rear end of the paper sheet out of the plane of said conveyor and pins as the front end of the paper sheet is being received by said rollers.

3. A printing machine comprising a pair of printing rollers between which sheets to be printed are fed, an endless conveyor, a pair of pulleys upon which said conveyor is set, one of said pulleys being in proximity of said rollers, the operative level ofsaid conveyor being substantially on horizontal plane extending through the meeting point of said rollers, pins upon said conveyor for engaging the rear end of a paper sheet for feeding the same between said rollers, a rockshaft, a finger keyed thereto, and cam means for oscillating said rockshaft for actuating said finger for shifting the rear end of the paper sheet out of the plane of said pins, said cam means being operable at the instant when the front end of the paper sheet is received by said rollers.

4. A printing machine comprising a pair of printing rollers in mutual contact for receiving a sheet of paper therebetween, a horizontal conveyor upon a plane extending through the contact point in said-printing rollers, said conveyor being adapted to carry paper towards said printing rollers and to be picked up thereby by its front end, and means for lifting the rear end of the paper sheet and above the horizontal plane thereof as the front end thereof is being picked up by said printing rollers.

' GEORGE BABICZ. 

